1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to facial massage brushes, and more particularly to brushes utilizing bristles having varying heights for dislocating ingrown hairs. More specifically still, the present invention pertains to a facial massage brush for use in conjunction with a razor and containing support means for retaining such a razor.
2. Prior Art
No prior art is known for dealing with problems associated with a condition known as razor bumps, or pseudofolliculitis barbae (hereinafter PFB).
Facial massaging brushes for use during shaving are known. Such brushes are illustrated by Grove, U.S. Pat. No. 1,801,196; Seykora, U.S. Pat. No. 1,870,756 and Sohn, U.S. Pat. No. 1,188,214. These brushes, however, in providing massaging bristles of uniform height, fail to provide any alleviation for razor bumps, a condition afflicting large numbers of men having curly facial hair.
Other prior teachings of brushes, illustrated by Lussier, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,146,484; Andreoli, U.S. Pat. No. 2,603,211 and Swastek, U.S. Pat. No. 2,516,491 disclose scalp massage and shampooing brushes, generally circular in origin which, while having central bristle-free portions, cannot therein support razors. Moreover, such brushes do not provide varying bristle length in an optimal distribution useful for alleviation of PFB. Thus, while Swastek includes central cone-shaped fingers extending beyond the ends of large, less resilient fingers at the periphery of the massaging apparatus therein, such fingers are not flexible and excessively hard for facial usage. Moreover, lack of flexibility evidenced by the structure of the fingers shown therein does not provide means for slipping under ingrown hairs. While a brush having alternating rows of short and long bristles for providing gentle brisk scrubbing action is shown in Kaufman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,667, such a brush does not provide varying bristle heights useful in removal of ingrown hairs at varying pressures of application or other advantageous features usable in conditioning ingrown hairs for shaving.
Additional disclosures of brushes are known, including Okazaki, U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,064 and Spydevold, U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,260 (pertaining to hair brushes having particular length bristles); Giesecke, U.S. Pat. No. 502,513 (multi-height tufts in a horse brush); Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 926,303 (a crowned face massaging implement having bristles of a uniform length); Sterrick, U.S. Pat. No. 1,458,371 (uniform bristled massage brush and shaving brush combination); Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,296 (a dust brush with inclined long bristles at its periphery); Kaye, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,865,039; Schad, U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,488; Snodderly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,727; Sampson, U.S. Pat. No. 904,650 and Lasater, U.S. Pat. No. 2,206,726.
A cap manufactured by Imperial Plastics and used on K2R aerosol cans includes a plurality of concentric rings of bristles. The innermost four rings, for example, all appear to be long, and the outermost three rings seem to be of successively shorter bristle heights. The concentration of apparently equal height long bristles minimizes effectiveness of such a brush in providing bristles for slipping under ingrown hairs and dislodging the same with the aid of shorter, stiffer, bristles interspersed with the longer bristles.
None of the above references disclose an apparatus for combating the effects of razor bumps, particularly in combination with caddying means for an associated razor.
The present invention accordingly overcomes the difficulties of the prior art and provides a brush useful for the preparation of ingrown hairs for shaving, thus at least partially alleviating the condition called razor bumps.